Reaching Your Goal

Reaching Your Goal

How to Start a Bible Study for Christian Teens

How to Start a Bible Study for Christian Teens

Iceland, America, New Zealand: "Be Strong in the Lord and the Power of His Might" BY: JULIE MEYER

After you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, Iceland.
Stand firm then, America.
Stand firm then, New Zealand.

I had a dream that I was sleeping in my bed, and the house I was in was spinning and spinning until suddenly I was carried by this house to a far away land. When I woke up the sun was shining bright, almost as if it never went down. I sat up in my bed and looked out the window; it was bright and sunny and green, and there were streams and waters and fountains and rivers flowing everywhere. I thought I was in Heaven again, for it was so beautiful.

The grass itself was the greenest of green and it was as if it melted right into the blue of the sky. The grass fit the landscape so well and it was so green that it was like it was not even real grass. I went outside to get a better view of this stunning picture. It was like a dream because it was so beautiful and the colors were extremely vivid that they did not even look real.

In the distance, I saw a man walking toward me. He was not in a hurry but seemed to be taking in the same beauty that I was taking in. I felt as if I was in a movie, for he was walking toward me almost in slow motion and fully dressed as if he was a warrior. As he approached me he said, "Greetings from the land of Iceland."

I was totally shocked and I repeated his statement with a question: "Greetings from the land of Iceland? This is Iceland?"

Not knowing anything about Iceland, I expected it to be cold, and full of ice. I was unprepared for my eyes to see such beauty. The colors of the sky were those of many colors. The sea was a picture in itself, and when I would look in the distance to where the sea meets the sky, it was like I was looking into a prism for the light throughout the sky seemed to be separating into a spectrum of colors. There were colors in the distant sky that I had never seen in the sky before. It was almost as if the colors in the sky were a rainbow in itself.

The Captain of the Hosts Himself Said, "Prophesy Over the Land, for the Hearts of the People are Becoming Weary"

Then I began to study this man who was standing before me, dressed as a warrior, as if he came fully prepared to go to war on the front lines. I noticed a thick, wide belt that had the word "TRUTH" in bold, black capital letters written across the front. Also across the front of His chest was a glimmering breastplate. I remember thinking nothing would be able to penetrate through that breastplate, for it was thick and it seemed to cover his whole chest; and written on the front of it, also in black, bold capital letters, was the word "RIGHTEOUSNESS."

Instantly my eyes were opened to the fact that I am literally looking at a Heavenly Warrior dressed in the whole armor of God. He looks like what Paul writes about to the people in Ephesus in Ephesians 6. This is the armor that will lead to victory when fighting this battle on the earth.

This Heavenly Warrior was not just any angel within the Host of Heaven but was the Captain of the Hosts, Himself. His very walk seemed to bring peace, for He seemed to bring security, safety, prosperity, joy, peace and harmony in His very steps. This man was the very embodiment of walking in the Gospel of peace. In His left hand He carried a shield of faith that flaming arrows dare not penetrate. His armor showed the wear of many battles, but His walk was one of strength and steadiness.

In His right hand was a sword that, just looking at the sight of it, seemed larger and bigger than my whole body. He carried it with ease and readiness, as the Word of God seemed to come forth out of His mouth in authority and boldness. He knew who He was and whom He was fighting for; for He was from the camp of the Lord God, Jehovah. Covering and guarding His head was a helmet, which I knew was the helmet of Salvation, for He brought with Him the very hope of salvation.

This Man looked into my eyes and said, "Prophesy over the land, for the hearts of the people are becoming weary. For witchcraft and the spirit of the age are quickly capturing the hearts of the young and old, and those who have been calling on the name of the Lord have become weary." Then this Man turned and began to shout, "You shall live again, Iceland. You shall live again." He said, "Call to the hearts of the people," and He began to shout into the land Ephesians 6:10-20:

"Be Strong in the Lord and in His Mighty Power"

"Be strong in the LORD and in His mighty power.

"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."

There's Only One Way to Fight This Battle and Win

Suddenly, I found myself clothed in the very armor He was clothed in. My eyes were opened in a new way to see the principalities and demons of darkness fighting for control over this land, and I began to fight in this great war of two realms as if I was in the movie "The Lord of the Rings." It was crazy. Clothed "in" this armor I was almost untouchable, and I could see with my natural eyes the battle of darkness.

I could see we were not fighting against mere physical opponents, but these are powers of darkness, master demonic spirits, world rulers of the darkness of this age and spiritual forces of wickedness. These were real beings of evil that I could see affecting the human minds and hearts in Iceland – and there was only one way to fight this battle and win. I could hear the very real sound of swords striking upon swords.

Darkness does not give up easily. They will strike and strike at any area not covered until they beat you down. I could see the great importance of wearing and "using" the whole armor of God.

I found myself joining this great battle. These were real warriors. I had to step out in a new faith that God was my guard, for this was a battle I had not fought before. This was war. Light versus dark, Holiness versus sin, Heavenly versus demonic, Good versus evil.

This was the real deal. I saw that the warlords of darkness are real and their plan was to break down the heart of Believers in the land, one strike at a time. So, I began to fight with this great Heavenly Warrior. I began to strike with my sword. At first I started swinging with my eyes closed as it was just too much to take in – but at least I was swinging. I began to gain strength as I also began singing in the Spirit. I began to literally use my shield of faith and I became untouchable by the flaming arrows of darkness. Then suddenly, strike by strike, now my eyes were opened and I saw that I could not be touched by the strategies of evil and the doctrines of demons.

Then I heard this great Heavenly Warrior begin to prophesy over the land: "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day of danger and having done all to stand – stand therefore. Hold your ground."

So I began to shout it out, too: "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of HIS might. Put on the whole armor of God – it works. It really works!"

When I Sang in the Spirit, it Was as if Every Note and Every Prayer Was Loosing the Army of God

Then I began to pray in the Spirit. With every strike of the sword of the Spirit against these enemies of Light, these warriors of darkness, I began to pray. I began to sing in the Spirit. As I began to sing in the Spirit, I saw this was like a strike against the enemy itself, as if loosing the army of God with every note and every prayer that proceeded from my mouth. It was as if my song literally became a weapon against the powers of darkness as much as my armor was a weapon. With every note that I began to sing out in the Spirit, the forces of evil literally began to dissipate.

Suddenly, the sound of singing began to fill the land and people one by one came out of their hiding, came out of their caves, began to strengthen themselves and began the fight. Soon there was a multitude of those who were on the Lord's side, literally pushing back darkness and pushing back schemes and strategies of evil.

"Prophesy Over America and New Zealand the Same Way"

This Heavenly Warrior looked at me and said, "Prophesy over America. Prophesy over New Zealand in the same way, for My House is growing weary and it is time to fight."

In my mind I was taken back to the days of King David. I saw a picture of King David in 1 Samuel 30. He was weary, for it seemed that all was stolen from him.

1 Samuel 30:1-4 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.

Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

And in this state David called upon the name of the Lord and the Lord answered him, saying: "Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all (see 1 Samuel 30:8).

Iceland, America and New Zealand: "Put on the Full Armor of God"

Then in the dream I began to call Iceland to, "Put on the full armor of God and pursue, for you shall surely overtake, and without fail recover all."

I began to call to America, "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day of danger, and having done all to stand – stand therefore. Hold your ground. Pursue; for you will surely overtake, and without fail recover all."

And I began to call forth to New Zealand, "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day of danger, and having done all to stand – stand therefore. Hold your ground. Pursue; for you will surely overtake, and without fail recover all."

For this is a battle. This is a war with real warlords of darkness, and they are fighting to win. They do not take breaks and they do not give up, but we have a greater weapon and this is our weapon: the Blood of the Lamb. For because of His Blood we can:

"Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day of danger, and having done all to stand – stand therefore. Hold your ground."

Julie Meyer
International House of Prayer - KC
Email: juliemeyer@ihop.org

Think You'd be Happier Shopping on Sundays Than Going to Church? Wrong, Says Study

Think You'd be Happier Shopping on Sundays Than Going to Church? Wrong, Says Study

News Release : Sep 2, 2010
Ben-Gurion University

"We found that there is direct evidence that religious participation has a positive causal effect on a person's happiness. Furthermore, an important part of the decline in women's happiness during the last three decades can be explained by decline in religious participation."
Worshippers in church

(Beer-Sheva, Israel)—A new study conducted by a Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researcher, together with a researcher from De-Paul University, reveals that women in the United States generally derive more happiness from religious participation than from shopping on Sundays.

Additionally, the repeal of "blue laws," which allow stores to open on Sundays, has a negative effect on the level of religious participation of white women and therefore has a negative impact on their happiness. Interestingly, the authors did not observe any significant decline in reported happiness of other groups whose religious participation was not significantly affected by repeal.

The research also reveals that when Sunday blue laws are repealed, women who choose secular activities, such as shopping, are not happier. The repeal of blue laws decreases the relative probability of being at least "pretty happy" relative to "not happy" by about 17 percent. (Photo by: Martin Boulanger)

According to Dr. Danny Cohen-Zada of BGU's Department of Economics, "We found that there is direct evidence that religious participation has a positive causal effect on a person's happiness. Furthermore, an important part of the decline in women's happiness during the last three decades can be explained by decline in religious participation."

The authors speculate that respondents did not return to attending church as much even after they noticed that they were happier before the repeal because of a problem of self-control or the need for immediate satisfaction.
"People choose shopping, like watching TV, because it provides immediate satisfaction," Dr. Cohen-Zada explains. "That satisfaction lasts for the moment it's being consumed and not much longer than that. Religious participation, on the other hand, is not immediate. Instead, it requires persistence over a period of time."...(more)

Source: Ben-Gurion University

WE MUST BE TOTALLY YIELDED TO GOD!

"I will be found by you, says the LORD,
and I will bring you back from your
captivity; I will gather you from all
the nations and from all the places where
I have driven you, says the LORD, and
I will bring you to the place from which
I cause you to be carried away captive." Jer 29:14

Something wonderful happens when we seek the Lord
with all our hearts. He begins a restoration. It
hasn't happened yet? How much is "all"? 50%? 80%?
99%? 100%? I know for some this seems hard, but it
is the way of the Lord. He requires all. When you
buy a car, do you buy the wheels only? Ok, how about
the wheels and the frame? No? You mean you want all
of it? With a full tank of gas, too? You even want
air in the tires? Of course you do. You want to drive
down the street with the knowledge that you own a car --
lock, stock, and barrel. The same goes for the computer
you just bought. You didn't just buy an Intel processor.
You bought all the components. You bought the fancy
case, the monitor, the speakers -- every thing that
makes it run. See what I mean? When Jesus paid the
price for your ransom, He bought all of you, not just
an arm and a leg. He bought your body, your soul
(composed of your mind and emotions), and your
spirit. He paid for it all and that's what He
wants. Let's go back to that shiny new car for
a moment. Let's suppose that you drive it home and
see a dent on the hood. Now it's no big dent, but
it's noticeable to you. What do you do? You drive
it back to the dealer and want it repaired. Why?
You bought a new car and you want it to look new.
A little later, you hear a tick in the engine.
You repeat the process for the same reason. It's
a new car and you want to keep it that way.

Jesus expects nothing less. Unfortunately, we tend
to want to keep parts of ourselves for our own use.
Won't work. Can't happen. If we want all the promises,
we must keep all the conditions. And look at those
promises: restoration of fortunes, restoration of
lands, restoration of freedom.

Joel (chapter 2) adds a few others: restoration
of all that the cankerworm and locust have destroyed,
new crops, new wine and much more. All that in
exchange for the right of ownership. "Sure," you
say, "but it's easier said than done." Indeed it is.
It's a process. It begins with a determination of
the heart to seek God, to be totally yielded to Him.
It grows as we give more and more of ourselves. It
finds it's fulfillment in our total obedience.

Fortunately, Jesus is willing to let us yield
a piece at a time. He is patient. He will grant
us partial fulfillment for partial dedication.
With that in mind, we need to begin today to
yield ourselves. We need to continue tomorrow
and the day after that and the week after that
and the month after that and the year after that --
until we have attained a measure of maturity.
If we do this, we will see the restoration begin
and amplify day by day. Oh, it may not be in the
form in which we want to see it, but it will be
there. We may not see it today, but we will see
it as time goes by. Trust me on this. God has
promised it. Let it happen to you! Hallelujah,
Amen and Amen.

THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST CLEANSES US FROM ALL SIN...

"This is the message which we have heard
from Him and declare to you, that God is
light and in Him is no darkness at all. If
we say that we have fellowship with Him, and
walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice
the truth. But if we walk in the light as He
is in the light, we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanses us from all sin" 1 John 1:5 -7

The story is told of the viper that wanted to get
across a river, but didn't know how to swim. Seeing
a nearby and very large turtle, the snake asked the
shelled creature to carry him to the other side. The
amphibian, being no stranger to the likes of the serpent,
refused: "You will bite me before we can cross and
I will die. It is your nature." With all the guile
and shrewdness inherent in the slithering creatures
personality, he convinced the turtle that he had been
reformed. He was no longer longing to kill turtles,
especially one who was helping him cross the river:
"After all, if I bit you in the middle of this torrent,
not only would you die, but so would I; remember,
I don't know how to swim." With great reluctance the
turtle accepted the explanation and allowed the serpent
to climb upon his back. About half way across the stream,
the viper coiled and struck the turtle in the soft part
of his outstretched neck. With his dying gasps the turtle
said, "I thought you were reformed. Why did you do that?"
The serpent lisped back to him, "You were right. I am
a viper by nature and I cannot help myself."

John tells us that Jesus is the light, Jesus said that
of Himself as well. John goes on to share his thoughts
on the nature of man. "If we say we have fellowship with
Him and yet walk in darkness, we lie . . ." And here is
the truth the turtle learned in our little parable: the
man who is dark by nature, cannot help but be dark even
though he clothes himself in the garments of a light-filled
individual. Since we are all children of darkness by nature,
is there any hope for us?

Indeed there is. This hope is in the form of the blood
of Jesus. We can have the darkness driven from us by
walking with the Master of light. The more time we spend
with Him, the more we become like Him and the application
of His blood to our sin-sick souls drives all sin from us.
Does that me we will remain sinless for the rest of our
lives? Hardly! But we have the assurance that our sins
can be washed away every day by the cleansing power of
the Blood. Eventually, our souls become whiter and whiter
and stay whiter much longer between "cleaning cycles." In
this way we are made into true children of light.

Is your light shining brightly? If it is, praise God!
If it is a bit dim, or in danger of going out, call
upon the name of Jesus, He will gladly rekindle your
flame and cause it to shine brightly in the darkness
that surrounds you. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

JESUS WILL INCREASE WHILE YOU WILL DECREASE...

"John answered and said, "A man can receive
nothing unless it has been given to him from
heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that
I said, "I am not the Christ," but, "I have
been sent before Him." He who has the bride
is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bride
groom, who stands and hears him, rejoices
greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.
Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He
must increase, but I must decrease" John 3:27-30

As a true disciple you are to be a friend, an
encourager, not the key-stone in someone's life.
One of the greatest lessons we must learn is to
recognize the authority of Jesus in our lives. We
all tend to be guilty of being a "Mr. or Miss.
Fix-it." We jump in when we see this or that not
going the way we think it should and our sympathy
gets in the way of God's hand. We, in fact, become
amateur providences. We tend to react instead of
respond to the correct leading of the Spirit.

Truly it is a wonderful experience to witness the
seeds that you have sown begin to sprout and grow,
but when you become a necessity to that soul, you
are out of God's order. Once you see a soul begin
to reach out to the claims of Christ, you know that
your influence has been in the right direction.
Allow God to work out those chaotic struggles
and the agony that many times precedes the
death to self.

Pray fervently that those struggles will increase
many times stronger until there is no power on
earth or in hell that can hold that soul away
from Jesus Christ. Beware that you do not rejoice
with a soul at the wrong time, but rejoice openly
when the time is right. Joy is yours when the time
is complete. Jesus will increase while you will
decrease. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

GOD WANTS US TO GET INTO A LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM...

"Therefore the law was our tutor to bring
us to Christ, that we might be justified
by faith" Gal 3:24

A lot of people don't like the Old Testament. I can
understand that. In many cases it is filled with
difficult names. It supports the death penalty.
Animals suffer as they are sacrificed to cover
the sins of man. Prophets speak in mysterious
phrases. Many of the pages are covered with blood
and guts stories. It's easy to want to ignore those
39 books of the Bible.

But they are there for a reason -- and that reason
is to lead us all to Jesus. Think about it. In the
first pages we learn of the God of creation -- the
God who was lonely and wanted a man with whom to
fellowship. We learn that He created man in His own
image. Man looks like God. Shortly thereafter, we
find that man sins (he had but one law, don't eat
of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil). He
is driven out of the Garden of Eden. With this know
ledge, we know why we are sinners. We received a
predisposition to sin from our ancestral parents.

From that point on, God is working to bring man back
into a loving relationship with Himself. God chooses
a family to work with -- Abraham. From Abraham he
builds a nation which will be the vehicle He will
use to bring a world Savior. He dictates the Law to
this people so that they will know beyond a doubt
when they have sinned. If there is no law, there
can be no knowledge of sin! The law is the line in
the sand which we cannot cross without disobeying God.

Once sin is established, man becomes aware of his
true nature. Man tries many ways to overcome that
nature, but fails in every effort. God, through His
prophets, tells man that a Messiah, a Redeemer, is
on His way. Finally, God is silent. For four hundred
years God does not speak to His people other than
through His written Word. There are no prophets.
There are not visions. Even dreams cease to have
any significant spiritual meaning.

All of this leads us to John the Baptist -- the
voice crying in the wilderness "prepare the way
for your Messiah!" See the importance of the Old
Book? It is our instructor. It is our teacher. We
can learn a lot from those dull, bloody, confusing,
mysterious pages. We can learn who Jesus is, why
He came, and what we need to do about Him.

As this new season begins, take a look at the Old
Testament. Let God teach you about Jesus through
it! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

A NEW CREATION.....

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is
a new creation; old things have passed away;
behold, all things have become new" 2 Corinth 5:17

If you don't 'know' you are a New Creation you will
still act like the old creation. The spiritual nature
of man is a fallen nature, it is the nature of Adam,
it is a bad nature, which man received when Adam fell,
because he got it from satan. Not one of us can change
our nature, no more than a leopard can change it's
spots, we are what we are, but when we come to God
through Jesus, then God who becomes our Father can
change our nature as we come into Him.

When you experience this new birth, something happens
on the inside of you in an instant. The old bad nature
goes out and the new Nature and likeness of God comes
in. God actually created you a brand new person on the
inside, a brand new creation. Don't look at yourself
from the old physical, moral and natural standpoint
anymore, now begin to 'know' you are a New Creation
if you have received Christ.

Start to look at yourself from the spiritual standpoint,
because that's how God sees you 'in Christ.' Believe it,
know it, live it. "Yahooooo" Amen and Amen.

BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO TRUSTS IN HIM!

"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"
Psalm 34:8

David writes this psalm for the spiritually immature,
who need to be instructed in the ways of God. One thing
David thinks we need to know is how to live in a way
that brings the blessing of God. How do we face the
hard times? When we hurt, we want to know: Have we
done something wrong? Has God deserted us? What do
we need to do to receive God's help? These are good
questions. If we pay attention to David, we will get
some answers.

The word "taste" here means properly to try the flavor
of anything, to eat a little so as to ascertain what
a thing is. It is used here in the sense of making a
trial of, or testing by experience. The idea is, that
by putting trust in God -- by testing the comforts of
religion -- one would so thoroughly see or perceive
the blessings of it -- would have so much happiness
in it -- that he would be led to seek his happiness
there altogether.

If those who are in danger would look to him; if
sinners would believe in him; if the afflicted
would seek him; if the wretched would cast their
cares on him; if they who have sought in vain for
happiness in the world, would seek happiness in
him-- they would, one and all, so surely find what
they need that they would renounce all else, and
put their trust alone in God. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

ARE WE SEEKING THE LORD WITH ALL OUR HEARTS?

"I will be found by you, says the LORD,
and I will bring you back from your
captivity; I will gather you from all
the nations and from all the places
where I have driven you, says the LORD,
and I will bring you to the place from
which I cause you to be carried away
captive" Jeremiah 29:14

Something wonderful happens when we seek the Lord with
all our hearts. He begins a restoration. It hasn't
happened yet? How much is "all"? 50%? 80%? 99%? 100%?
I know for some this seems hard, but it is the way of
the Lord. He requires all. When you buy a car, do you
buy the wheels only? Ok, how about the wheels and the
frame? No? You mean you want all of it? With a full
tank of gas, too? You even want air in the tires? Of
course you do. You want to drive down the street with
the knowledge that you own a car -- lock, stock, and
barrel. The same goes for the computer you just bought.
You didn't just buy an Intel processor. You bought all
the components. You bought the fancy case, the monitor,
the speakers -- every thing that makes it run. See what
I mean?

When Jesus paid the price for your ransom, He bought
all of you, not just an arm and a leg. He bought your
body, your soul (composed of you mind and emotions),
and your spirit. He paid for it all and that's what
He wants. Let's go back to that shiny new car for a
moment. Let's suppose that you drive it home and see
a dent on the hood. Now it's no big dent, but it's
noticeable to you. What do you do? You drive it back
to the dealer and want it repaired. Why? You bought
a new car and you want it to look new. A little later,
you hear a tick in the engine. You repeat the process
for the same reason. It's a new car and you want to
keep it that way.

Jesus expects nothing less. Unfortunately, we tend
to want to keep parts of ourselves for our own use.
Won't work. Can't happen. If we want all the promises,
we must keep all the conditions. And look at those
promises: restoration of fortunes, restoration of
lands, restoration of freedom. Joel (chapter 2) adds
a few others: restoration of all that the cankerworm
and locust have destroyed, new crops, new wine and
much more. All that in exchange for the right of
ownership. "Sure," you say, "but it's easier said
than done." Indeed it is. It's a process. It begins
with a determination of the heart to seek God, to be
totally yielded to Him. It grows as we give more and
more of ourselves. It finds it's fulfillment in our
total obedience.

Fortunately, Jesus is willing to let us yield a piece at
a time. He is patient. He will grant us partial fulfillment
for partial dedication. With that in mind, we need to begin
today to yield ourselves. We need to continue
tomorrow and the day after that and the week
after that and the month after that and the
year after that -- until we have attained a
measure of maturity. If we do this, we will
see the restoration begin and amplify day by
day. Oh, it may not be in the form in which we
want to see it, but it will be there. We may
not see it today, but we will see it as time
goes by. Trust me on this. God has promised it.
Let it happen to you! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

DO YOU PUT GOD IN A "BOX"... DO YOU LIMIT HIS POWER!

"But will God indeed dwell on the earth?
Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens
cannot contain You. How much less this
temple which I have built!" 1 Kings 8:27

It must have been a magnificent place, this temple that
Solomon built. So much gold. So much bronze. So much
stone and wood and labor and pillars all around. But
Solomon had a glimpse of the power of God. Sure, he
built a home for God. But he was wise enough to realize
that God would not dwell there. It was too small. The
entire universe was too small for this God of the Jews.

Still, we today continually put God in a box -- not
a house or a temple -- a box. "How do we do that?"
you may be asking. We do it by limiting the power
of God to what we can imagine. We all have or know
friends who have or had insisted that God could heal
his or her husband, wife, etc. While he or she was
at death's door. They had bone cancer, lupus, etc.
They were sick beyond imagination and was weak as
a kitten. They could not stand, or walk. The doctors
had given up. And, I must admit, most of us had given
up as well. We (The relatives and friends) were trying
to figure out how we could prepare this poor woman or
man for her loved ones demise.

Ah, but we had limited God to what the doctors said
and what we could see. She had opened the lid on her
box. Her God could do the impossible -- AND HE DID!
A few months later this DEAD PERSON was driving all
over town, Praise God! It was an amazing recovery!
Even the doctors were astounded.

So what problems are you facing? Think they are too
big to be solved? May I suggest that you open the
lid to your God box and stuff the problem in there.
God will certainly devour it and deliver you from
the trouble you face. All you have to do is let Him
be God Almighty. He's much bigger and more powerful
than you could ever imagine! AND NO PROBLEM IS TOO
LARGE FOR HIM. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

THOSE WHO REFUSE THE MARK OF THE BEAST WILL HAVE THE VICTORY!

"They sing the song of Moses, the servant
of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying:
"Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord
God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!" Rev 15:3

I'm amazed! Let me set the scene. John is seeing a
vision of heaven. He sees a glassy sea -- glowing
with the reds and oranges of fire. On that sea stands
the saints from earth who were victorious over the
beast and the number of his name. These are saints
who have refused the mark of the beast and who have
refused to bow down and worship the image of the
antichrist. How did they get there? They were
slaughtered, persecuted, starved to death. That
was the punishment for refusing the mark.

Listen! Those persecuted saints are singing! What
song is that? What are the words? Why such a joyful
sound? "Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord
God, the Almighty!" Were they singing of the wonderful
works of God -- though those works caused them to
suffer? Indeed! How could it be? Listen to the next
line: "Righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of
the nations." God's ways are righteous? They are true?
Certainly. And in the words of these suffering saints
we can learn the response we should have to suffering.

When things go bad, things turn a bit sour, we have
two choices. We can suffer and complain. Or we can
suffer and rejoice in the privilege. What's the
difference? Remember that time before you were
saved that you hit your finger with a hammer?
Oh how you turned the air blue with your curses.
Did it help you feel better? NO. You suffered
physically and you suffered spiritually. You
grumbled and complained and groaned and muttered.
You suffered and your suffering was compounded.

Now think about the time you hit your thumb with
a hammer and you were saved. Sure it hurt, but you
shouted "Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!" You offered
a short prayer for relief and went about your business.
You suffered, but your heart was rejoicing -- and
you suffering was tolerable. See the difference?
It's all in the attitude. These saints had learned
that all the suffering was worth it when you considered
the end result. THEY WERE IN HEAVEN -- STANDING
BEFORE THE TEMPLE OF GOD! I think I'll rejoice,
too! How about you? Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

JESUS LIVES...HALLELUJAH!

"Now behold, two of them were traveling that
same day to a village called Emmaus, which
was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they
talked together of all these things which
had happened." Luke 24:13-14

It was a sad duo who trekked along the road to Emmaus.
Sorrow filled their hearts and weighted their sandals
like lead. Instead of joy and gladness dominating their
conversation, they talked of what could have been and
what should have been and what was. What they had
expected and wanted was to be discussing the crowning
of Jesus as their Messiah -- the one who would free
them from the tyranny of Rome. What they got was a
crucified leader, in the grave now for three days.

Well, some women and a couple of the apostles had been
to the tomb. They said He was not there, but no one
reputable had seen Him. (Mary didn't count -- she was
simply too excited and who would believe that she saw
both an angel and the Lord?) No, it was a sad day. A
stranger joined them. Listening to their conversation
for a moment, he asked to be brought up to speed on the
matter. After the briefing, he began to tell them a few
things about their Messiah. He began in Genesis and ran
all the way through the major and minor prophets explaining
why Jesus had to suffer the way He did. The two were
amazed! They saw all that happened in a new light. But
the fact remained that Jesus was dead -- and His body
was missing! Arriving in Emmaus, the stranger made his
salutation as though he would continue on, but a good
teaching deserved a good meal so the two persuaded the
one to stay a while.

Supper was hot when they entered the room. As guest of
honor, the stranger was asked to bless the meal. He picked
up a loaf of warm bread, broke it, and gave thanks -- then
vanished in thin air as the two recognized that the stranger
was JESUS! It can be that way sometimes. We have our minds and hearts set on something.We pray for it and about it and it never seems to come about.
When at last dejection sets in, we feel we have been abandoned
by the only hope that we had. It's then that someone comes
to us -- maybe a stranger, maybe a friend, maybe a spouse,
and tells us the truth of the matter.

We listen -- half-heartedly. We nod our heads in agreement,
but we don't understand -- not until we at long last have
our eyes opened to the reality of JESUS is the messenger.
The answer was there all the time, we just looked at it
in the wrong way! As with the men from Emmaus, our hearts
are burning with the joy of knowing Jesus again! Our hearts
are filled to overflowing. We've just got to tell somebody
what Jesus did for us! Perhaps today you are down and out,
the answers seem far away. Open your heart and let Jesus --
the resurrected Messiah, Savior -- come in. Let Him shed
the light of understanding into the dusty, cob web filled
recesses of your spirit and renew your faith! Now I have
a question to ask.

Are YOU Right with God?

True Christianity is not about attending a particular church, or
how your parents raised you, or what country you were born in.
Being a Christian means that you have a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ, that He is your Savior. It's not good enough
that your priest, pastor, mother, or aunt knows Jesus, you must
know Him for yourself. They cannot believe in Him for you, you
must believe for yourself. They cannot repent for you, you must
repent for yourself.

Jesus is everywhere all the time. He can hear you now if you ask
Him for forgiveness. Please turn your life over to Him NOW. Time
slips by so quickly, don't miss this opportunity. If you want to pray
and ask Jesus to be your Savior, you can say a prayer something
like this:

"Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you. I know the truth is
that I have sinned by my own choice, and I am the one responsible
for it. I know that I have earned punishment from You, and that the
fair punishment would be death. Jesus, I believe that You died in
my place. Forgive me for my sin. I cannot cover or take my sin
away, I am relying totally and only on You. You are the only one
who can save me. I reject my sin, I turn away from it, I repent.
Come into my life, take away my sin, and show me how to live
my life in a way that is right and pleasing to You." Thank You
Jesus, Amen

If you have prayed this, YOU ARE SAVED! You are now completely
forgiven, a new creation, innocent in the eyes of God.

BE MORE LIKE JESUS....

"The things which you learned and received
and heard and saw in me, these do, and the
God of peace will be with you" Phil 4:9

Paul said that if we would emulate what we
saw in him and heard from him, that the peace of God
would be with us. In short he was saying, "Do as I do
and you will see Jesus." Quite a boast. But, then, isn't
that what we are all supposed to be doing? Modeling Jesus.
Most of us would shy away from such a statement concerning
our own lives. But we shouldn't. If we are trying to live
for Jesus, then people who follow in our footsteps will
see Jesus. Right?

If you don't think that is correct, then you need to
examine your lives to see where you are headed. It's
like the lady who was caught in a deep fog. She found
some tail lights ahead of her and decided that she would
follow them until the fog lifted. Suddenly the car ahead
stopped. Hitting the breaks, she shouted out the window,
"Why did you stop?" The other driver answered, "Because
I'm at HOME!"

If people follow us, as believers, they should eventually
come into the household of God! Keep those lights shining!
Hallelujah, Amen and Amen

PROPHETIC WORD...WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT THE ELECTIONS/ECONOMY

PROPHETIC WORD BY WENDY ALEC

EYE OF THE STORM - ELECTIONS - ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

And THE LORD SAID - "Tell My people that THEY DO NOT HAVE TO FEAR. Things will get ROUGH - Things will get TURBULENT- BUT I WILL KEEP THEM SAFE IN THE EYE OF THE STORM."

The Lord woke me up in the early hours of the morning the week before the bailout was passed - It was around four am in the morning and I kept hearing one sentence over and over again and that sentence was 'EYE OF THE STORM - EYE OF THE STORM..,' and then I started to hear Psalm 91 as well, and I said to the Lord - "Father - Your people are very familiar with Psalm 91", but I sensed this was DIFFERENT - there was such a specific and powerful rhema anointing on this Psalm concerning the current financial situation.

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty whose power no foe can withstand. You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night nor of the arrow, the evil plot slanders of the wicked." (or the NASDAQ OR THE DOW JONES THAT PLUMMETS by day.)

"A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand but it shall not come near you because you have made the LORD your refuge."

And I sensed that the Lord was so deeply moved by the prayers and cries of His children regarding the current economic turmoil and I believe that He is talking to some of you right now and He's saying:

"BELOVED CHILD - BELOVED SON - BELOVED DAUGHTER BECAUSE YOU HAVE MADE ME - THE LORD - THE MOST HIGH - YOUR REFUGE AND YOUR DWELLING PLACE, I SHALL PROTECT YOU. BECAUSE YOU HAVE GIVEN ME YOUR HEART - BECAUSE YOU HAVE GIVEN ME YOUR LIFE - BECAUSE YOU HAVE GIVEN ME YOUR SUBSTANCE - YOUR SUBSTANCE SHALL BE PROTECTED IN THE EYE OF THE STORM. FOR I THE MOST HIGH AND LIVING GOD SHALL BY MY OWN RIGHT ARM PROTECT YOUR SUBSTANCE EVEN IN THE EYE OF THE STORM."

And I remembered a prophecy the Lord had given me so many years ago in 1999 in the Journal of the Unknown Prophet, part of which had said:

"And so great terror shall strike at the heart of those who have ruled the nations by control and manipulation - by trade and by extortion - as they see their idols collapse before them. And so the great shaking and the judgements upon the Earth shall begin... They exchange the worship of Me, the Living God, for that of stocks and shares and gold and bonds - for the worship of oil and armaments. They have exchanged their souls for that which cannot save them. For so it is that as their life expires, all they have amassed in the high places of the Earth, all their idols shall stand silent."

And I knew with a great dread that part of what we were all experiencing in the tumult of the world economic shake up was actually the Lord's JUDGEMENT on the trading systems of the world - But at the very same time, I sensed His great mercies start to flow and His overwhelming compassions and fervency of His love for His own Household - for YOU His child. And it seemed to me that the Lord was saying a very different thing to His children.

And He said, "Wendy - I want you to tell My people that THEY DO NOT HAVE TO FEAR.

Things will get ROUGH
Things will get TURBULENT
BUT I WILL KEEP THEM SAFE IN THE EYE OF THE STORM
Tell My people - It is time to fly by the instruments by the weapons of their warfare
It is time for them to fly by FAITH
BY ENDURANCE
BY PERSERVERANCE
FOR THEM TO WALK IN THE OPPOSITE SPIRIT OF THE AGE BECAUSE they have set their love on Me," the Lord said,
"BECAUSE they have set their heart on Me, BECAUSE they have set their substance on Me, SURELY I will deliver them.

And the Father said to Me, "I am MOVED - I am greatly MOVED FOR My people and BY the prayers of My people at this time."

I SAW BABYLON ABOVE WALL ST. AND I SAW A NOOSE THAT WAS AROUND THE NECKS OF THE BANKERS, MANY BANKERS, INSTITUTIONS IN THE CITY

And then I saw the word 'BABYLON' and I saw Babylon above WALL STREET and THE FEDERAL RESERVE was there above Wall Street. Then I saw a noose that was around the necks of the bankers, many bankers, institutions in the city and in Wall Street and then I saw the spirit of Babylon just pull on that noose and it started to get so tight around that noose and then I saw Jesus.

Jesus Christ was there walking through Wall Street and He noted every Christian, every follower of His and there were many followers who were actually IN banks and institutions.

I SAW A SPIDER'S WEB FROM WALL STREET TO WASHINGTON, DC TO THE CONGRESS UP TO THE WHITE HOUSE

I saw believers there who were PRAYING and then I saw a spider's web, a huge spider's web, and I saw the spider's web go from Wall Street and it went to Washington and it went through Congress and the Senate and then up to the White House.

And then I saw a very strange thing. I saw two huge FUEL LINES I did not understand (a day later I sensed strongly they represented OIL) and these two fuel lines came directly from Wall Street into the White House and into the Treasury, I saw the word 'TREASURY' in large black capitals.

HIDDEN AGREEMENTS - HIDDEN COVENANTS - PRAY FOR TRUTH AND EXPOSURE OF DARKNESS

And I felt that the Lord said there are HIDDEN AGREEMENTS - HIDDEN COVENANTS and I knew that the Lord said that we as believers need to pray at this time for TRUTH and to PRAY FOR EXPOSURE OF DARKNESS. That's what the Lord said. And He said that THERE IS GOING TO BE A SHIFT AND A SWAY - THERE'S GOING TO BE A GOD EXPOSURE OF PEOPLE'S ROLES THAT I BELIEVE WILL CONTINUE EVEN INTO THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION.

THE ELECTION - AN END TO SHOWMANSHIP - THE LORD IS CALLING FOR SOBERMINDEDNESS - HE IS CALLING FOR MEASURED WISDOM

And then the Lord said He is calling now for TEMPERANCE -
He is calling for SOBER MINDEDNESS -
He is calling for MEASURED WISDOM -
And then He started speaking about the ELECTION.
And about the SPIRIT ON THE MEDIA in this Election and I sensed the Lord's grieving - that it was time for us as the Lord's own to rise in prayer and bind the JEZEBELIC SPIRIT on the media and the BEGUILING SPIRITS and SPIRITS OF WITCHCRAFT that have been released - It's a showman spirit on this election.

THE LORD'S DISPLEASURE - DIVISIVE ATTACKS - AN OPPOSING SPIRIT TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD

And I sensed the Lord's displeasure with the divisiveness and attacks and devouring taking place between the parties in the Election - It was hard for Him to RELEASE HIS FULL BLESSING when the spirits operating over the parties in the Election were the opposing spirit to the KINGDOM OF GOD.

And I sensed the enemy's pleasure over the divisiveness. I sensed many other things concerning the Election:

"DO NOT TAKE STOCK IN THE APPEARANCE OF A MAN OR WOMAN - CALL OUT MY JOSEPHS - I AM CALLING FOR MEASURED WISDOM - I AM CALLING FOR TEMPERANCE - I AM CALLING MY JOSEPHS."

It was imperative that as the Body of Christ we were not praying our own agendas but the Agenda of the ONLY ONE WHO TRULY KNOWS AND READS ALL HEARTS - AND TO PRAY FOR THE FATHER'S WILL AND ONLY THE FATHER'S WILL TO BE ACHIEVED IN THE ELECTION.
No matter how much we feel we understand and know, we still see through a glass so darkly.

And I heard the same words again - Temperance - Sobermindedness - Measured Wisdom.
He said many other things, which I will share if the Lord releases me to do so in the weeks ahead but I am not led to share them at this time. However I sense with a great burden that the Lord is calling for His people to cover the Election with Heaven-directed prayer.

TORNADO - EYE OF THE STORM PASSING OVER HOUSES

And finally I saw this huge tornado and it was the financial situation upon the earth.
And I saw it come and there was a whole city and it just went through the whole city and the city was devastated and I saw these houses that stayed and they were beautiful and they were completely intact.
The eye of the storm passed over these houses but they were completely intact.
Nothing was touched. Not their gardens or fences.
And the Father said for those of you who have loved Him
For those of you who have served HIM
For those of you who have set your heart on Him
And He kept saying, for those of you who have kept your substance on Him
He said the destroyer will pass over you because the Blood of the Lamb, the living Blood of the Lamb was over all of those houses which represent the people who have truly loved the Lord and their substance is set on the Lord. And it was like a canopy, the protection of the Lord that even as the eye of the storm passed across your life, your finances, your mortgages, passed across the banks -
The Lord promised THAT HE IS GOING TO KEEP YOU. THAT HE IS NOT GOING TO LET YOU DOWN, THAT HE WILL NOT FORSAKE YOU - THAT HE TRULY IS WITH YOU AND THAT YOU WILL SEE HIS PROVISION, YOU WILL SEE HIS LOVE AND THAT YOU WILL SEE WHAT YOU HAVE INTACT IN HIS DAY.
"And a thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand but it shall not come near you." Only a spectator you will be.
.

EXCERPT FROM WWW.UNKNOWNPROPHET.COM

This is another excerpt from Unknown Prophet written many years ago, but for all who have served the Lord faithfully with their substance, the Lord said:

"But for those who have been found faithful to My Father in the monetary matters of the earth, to those who have not set their heart upon the possessions and the riches that I have blessed them with, but have laid up their treasures in Heaven and have given of My substance to feed the poor and those of lesser fortune than themselves- for those who have poured out My substance through the vehicles that I have raised up to preach the gospel in these end-times and have given of their generously and joyfully with a thankful heart - to these ones comes a multiplication, a multiplication not as in the past. For in the past it was a multiplication of five and of tens, but in this coming time, says the Lord, I shall multiply My substance supernaturally upon these ones that it shall be a hundred and a thousandfold.

"And I shall yet open up unseen riches that until now have been hidden in the secret places of the Earth. And to these ones I shall pour out upon the gold of Ophir and the treasures of Solomon. I shall pour upon them the gold hidden deep under the earth and the oil, even the oil shall come into their hands. These will not have to tremble when My Judgement falls for I shall keep their substance safe in the eye of the storm. For their substance is indeed My substance and their inheritance is My inheritance. For they are the proven ones, the ones whose treasure is fixed in Me.

"And so in these latter days you shall see them come forth as guiding lights rising from within the world system but rising from out of the world's system. Yes they shall rise. Watch now and see if they will not come forth. And through them My ministers shall be blessed, and shall do their exploits, and through their faithfulness in the hidden places so My Gospel shall yet be financed and shall be preached through all the nations of the Earth. So be it. Amen."

ARE YOU A LEADER? A MUST READ FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN BUILDING THEIR OWN BUSINESS.

Are you a leader?

Guess what...it's a trick question.
Want to know why?
Because you determine whether you are a leader or whether
you aren't at any given moment of your life with your actions.

It's not something you can say "yea sure, I'm a leader.
"

So what does it mean to be a leader? First, it means you
have firmly made the resolution within yourself that you
will rise to the challenges of your life, and meet them with
the leadership mentality.


The mentality that there is no obstacle you cannot overcome,
no challenge which you can not endure, and no problem that will
cause you to give up your goals.


The leadership mentality is simple.
It's having the confidence
and belief that if you truly focus your mind on something you
will have success...and you KNOW that you can help other
people do the exact same thing.


Leadership in network marketing is absolutely crucial.
We are
in an industry that revolves around people becoming leaders,
building organizations, and creating more leaders.
If you
aren't a leader yourself...you will have a very difficult time
to get thousands of people to follow you in your business.


When you ARE a leader, thousands of people will see that and
follow you at will.
Leaders are the ones who make all the big
money in network marketing AND YOU DON'T have to be just one
kind of leader.


There are all sorts of leaders, with many different styles.

Some outspoken, some not so loud and in the limelight.
But
the defining characteristic of a leader comes down to HOW MUCH
they help EMPOWER the people who are in their organization.


How much do they HELP their people believe in themselves, build
their confidence, and execute the tasks that create us money
in this industry efficiently.


That is the purpose of a leader...knowledge and execution.


So how do you become a leader you say? Simple...YOU BELIEVE
YOU ARE ONE.


Now here are some things that can help you believe you are a
leader.


1.
When you are in the trenches everyday working hard FOR YOURSELF,
you will feel powerful, resourceful, and determined.


2.
When you continuously empower yourself, educate yourself,
and inform yourself then you will know you have value to offer
others.
Always be reading the newest books, taking important
courses, or staying connected with people in the field who know
what is working RIGHT NOW.
Plug yourself in to empowerment and
watch yourself grow.


3. Give back. Do things selflessly for other people.
Show
yourself how kind and caring you really are.
Open up your
heart and take on a servitude attitude, like you are truly
on this planet to help...and that's what you really want.


Let the joy of helping another person to reach their goals,
overcome a sickness, or get through a hard time be one
of the most important things in your life...and you will know
you are a leader.


I am absolutely making you a promise right now.
If you do these
things,if you work on these things every day, you will be
rewarded with everything you ever really wanted in life.
I
promise.


The deciding factor to whether or not you build a huge network
marketing organization, whether you feel satisfied with what
you have done while you were on this planet, or whether you help
lots of people will be YOUR DEDICATION to living this kind of
life.


How earnest are you? Some will hear this and make no changes.

Some will hear this and it will cause yet another little shift
inside them.
The accumulation of those "little shifts" eventually
turns into a BIG SHIFT.
One day, you will look back and say "wow, I
have come so far, and I am so happy with myself.
"

But that won't happen unless you start taking action right now.

Unless you start implementing changes in your life to become
the leader you know you can be. If you don't do that...don't
expect anything very new to come into your life.


You get what you give.
Start giving incredible things to
this world and you will get incredible things back.


All the best to you!

Michael Leahy: Author of "Porn Nation"

Michael Leahy: Author of "Porn Nation"

MICHAEL'S STORY

Michael Leahy is a husband, a father, and a recovering sex addict. As founder and Executive Director of BraveHearts, a ministry he started in 2003, he has an ambitious goal of building a global healing community that transforms lives through the power of personal story. Their mission is to educate others about sexual addiction and the sexualization of our culture, and to inspire those who struggle and their loved ones to have hope and seek out help.

"It took losing my 15-year marriage, my boys, my job, my friends, my affair partner, any hopes of reconciling with and re-marrying Patty, and a whole lot of money before I finally hit bottom," Michael says. "That's what it took to finally get my attention."

Michael was a sex addict, and the roots began as a kid when he saw pornographic pictures in the schoolyard. Michael had hit puberty during an interesting era in American history – in the late '60s/early ‘70s during the sexual revolution. One day at the school playground during recess, a group of bullies who had picked on him for some time beckoned Michael to come over to them. They introduced him to pornography – a playing card with a topless woman on it. He was shocked. He had never seen a picture of a naked woman before. At the same time, he admits he liked what he saw and the energy rush he felt from seeing it. The details of that image stayed in his mind. He began to look at more pictures.

No adults ever properly educated Michael about sex. He did have some formal education at his Catholic church by the priest with parents sitting in the back of the room (including Michael's father), but Michael says this didn't necessarily answer all the questions that he had. He became more involved with sexual activity, mostly fueled by the pornographic images he saw. Through college, he remained promiscuous without having a steady girlfriend. Pornographic magazines were commonplace and "hooking up" with people was okay, as long as no one got hurt.

This addiction grew to control him as the years went by. Michael knew God and the Bible but stopped going to church once he finished college. He accepted Christ back into his life two years after he married his first wife, Patty. However, he was living a double life. He didn’t give up pornography and it took up much of his time, even though he was active in his church. He also began to have an affair with another woman.

MICHAEL’S RECOVERY

Towards the end of his marriage, Michael went to a counselor, but he was still using pornography and kept seeing the other woman. Finally, he hit bottom. Once he hit the bottom of his painful and steady decline, he renewed his relationship with the Lord and chose a faith-based recovery program to get healed.

One part of his recovery included dealing with and reconciling in his relationships. He had to heal his soul by changing his heart. He realized that for 13 years he had lost intimacy in his marriage before it actually fell apart. Patty, a strong Christian, writes about her struggle through it all.

Michael says one of the hardest and most important things he had to do was to forgive Patty's new husband, Tommy, a very good man who was good to his sons. Michael had treated him badly for a long time. It hurt Michael that Tommy had taken his place, he felt. But in Christ, Michael did ask Tommy's forgiveness which he gladly gave.

It’s been a long process of recovery for Michael. There are a few things he did that helped him and what he suggests for others:

You must really want to get well; he took his relationship with the Lord more seriously.

Bring your addiction out of the darkness and into the light – find a trusted, safe person who you can talk to that can lead you to some good resources, don’t wait too long to find that person.

Find some good faith-based recovery groups for sex addiction/get counseling.

Have strict accountability; Keep strict boundaries.

What you feed grows, and what you starve dies – he “starved” himself of pornographic images by cutting out cable (literally) and getting rid of the Internet in his home and “fed” himself with God’s Word – you must go through this detox process.

BRAVEHEARTS

A big part of helping Michael through the recovery process was hearing the stories of other people who were sex addicts. Michael says he never expected to be a spokesman on this subject, but this addiction affects so many men and their families - Christian men.

The societal saturation of illicit pictures, videos, etc., is something that must be confronted. Here are some interesting statistics about sexual addiction:

Sexual addiction is America’s #1 and least talked about addiction.

Sexual addiction is not just a “guy problem.” More and more women are becoming addicts. The sex industry is even trying to “cater” more to women.

It is estimated that 40 million American adults regularly visit pornographic websites, one in three of them are women.

Currently, the revenues of sex and the porn industry in the U.S. are about $10-13 billion - that’s larger than the revenues of the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball combined.

America is the largest importer, exporter, producer, and the fourth largest consumer of pornography in the world.

As an author and expert on sexual addiction and the sexualization of our culture, Michael has spoken on over 200 college campuses (works closely with Campus Crusade) to over 100,000 students attending his Porn Nation event or The Great Porn Debate with porn industry legend Ron Jeremy. Michael also appears often in churches and at conferences to share his life-changing story of reconciliation and redemption. He calls this “the new evangelism.”

SOME INDICATORS OF SEXUAL ADDICTION

How do you know if you or someone you love suffers from sexual addiction? The following patterns have been compiled by health care professional Dr. Patrick Carnes (though this analysis should be carried out by a health care professional, you can go to Dr. Carnes website www.sexhelp.com or take the Sexual Addiction Screening Test at www.mysexsurvey.com). Here are some indicators of a sexual addiction:

1. Acting out: a pattern of out-of-control sexual behavior.
2. Experiencing severe consequences due to sexual behavior, and an inability to stop despite these adverse consequences. Ex. loss of a spouse, severe marriage/relationship problems, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases.
3. Ongoing desire to limit sexual behavior.
4. Sexual obsession and fantasy as a primary coping strategy.

Some other indicators that Michael says are physical withdrawal, irritability (the person will act out, especially when their personal time is interrupted), mood changes, fight against of any level of accountability/transparency if excuses don’t “line up” (if they are caught in lies).

There is a level of denial and lying when it comes to sexual addiction, like most addictions. Similar to other addictions, the loved ones of the addicted must recognized that they can’t force the addicted to choose recovery, but the loved ones can choose recovery for themselves. The loved ones must also know that the addiction isn’t their fault.

OUR FATHER DESIRES TO HAVE A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH US

Our Father desires to have a close relationship with us. The world can distract us from all that we are called to be.

The only true thing that we have is JESUS CHRIST! He is the same yesterday, today and forever, Hebrews 13:8

We were never promised to not have hard times in our lives; but in trials and hardships of life, we learn of the character of God….. because in those hard times, God is there.

Bring a part of heaven to earth by speaking words of love to someone today.

An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path.

…Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

May we be filled with the Word of LIFE to have words on our lips to speak to one another.

Let us be full of God’s PRESENCE to speak healing words of life to a lost soul or someone in need. May God lead you and give you discernment to know when it’s the right time and the right place to plant a seed of life for His Kingdom.

Let JESUS PEOPLE ARISE!

What to do when you are in need of Peace

BE CAREFUL FOR NOTHING; BUT IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING LET YOUR REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN UNTO GOD.
AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH PASSETH ALL UNDERSTANDING, SHALL KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.
PHILIPPIANS 4:6,7

WHAT THE ENEMY MEANS FOR HARM...GOD ALWAYS TURNS AROUND FOR GOOD!

GLORY TO GOD AND THANKS TO KAIROS888MARANATHA FOR THIS....GOD BLESS
~WHAT THE ENEMY MEANS FOR HARM...GOD "ALWAYS" TURNS AROUND FOR GOOD...THE *JUST* SHALL LIVE BY FAITH~ ~WE SERVE "THE MOST HIGH GOD" OF THE UNIVERSE~ ~WE SERVE "THE MOST HIGH GOD" OF THE UNIVERSE...THEREFORE "NO" WEAPON THAT IS FORMED AGAINST "US" (WILL PROSPER) AND (EVERY TONGUE) THAT RISES UP AGAINST US "WE" SHALL (WILL) CONDEMN...***THIS IS "OUR HERITAGE"(inheritance) AND OUR VINDICATION(to be set free to prosper)IS FROM THE *LORD* "JESUS CHRIST"...~ I CONDEMN ANY WRONG WORDS SPOKEN AGAINST ME AND/OR THE WHOLE ("BRIDE OF CHRIST") AND I RENDER(to make happen and effective)THEM INEFFECTIVE AND POWERLESS IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST BY THE POWER OF THE BLOOD, A DOUBLE-PORTION ANOINTING OF THE MANTLE OF JESUS CHRIST, AND THE NAME ABOVE "ALL" NAMES...JESUS CHRIST... ...*WHO "ALREADY" DEFEATED (ALL) OF satan's kingdom ...GREATER IS HE WHO IS WITHIN ME THAN he WHO IS WITHIN THE WORLD...I HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST, AND I KNOW ALL THINGS...WE...THE "BRIDE OF CHRIST" PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD...THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE WILES (schemes) OF THE devil...FOR WE WRESTLE "NOT" AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF DARKNESS OF THIS AGE, AGAINST SPIRITUAL HOSTS OF WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES. THEREFORE WE TAKE UP THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND (to cause to stand) IN THE EVIL DAY, AND HAVING DONE ALL, TO STAND. STAND THEREORE, HAVING GIRDED YOUR WAIST WITH TRUTH, HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND HAVING SHOD YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE *ABOVE "ALL" TAKING THE SHIELD OF ("*FAITH*") WITH WHICH "YOU" WILL BE ABLE TO QUENCH ALL THE FIERY DARTS OF THE wicked one. AND TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION, AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD; PRAYING ALWAYS WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION IN THE SPIRIT, "BEING" WATCHFUL TO THIS END WITH ALL PERSERVERANCE AND SUPPLICATION FOR ALL SAINTS (the body of Christ) all believers... ...the wicked one...IS A DIRECT REFERENCE TO THE PERSONAL ASSAULT OF satan AGAINST BELIEVERS... BE CAREFUL HOW YOU SPEAK AND WHAT YOU SAY...REJECT EVIL ATTITUDES; AND DEVELOP COMPASSIONATE, FORGIVING ATTITUDES TOWARDS OTHERS ~BELOVED~...STAND IN READINESS FOR SPIRITUAL COMBAT. RECOGNIZE THAT YOUR DEMONIC ENEMIES ARE BEHIND MUCH OF WHAT COMES AGAINST YOU TO HARM YOU... EACH DAY CONSCIOUSLY PUT ON THE SPIRITUAL ARMOR THAT GOD SUPPLIES. LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THIS "DIVINE PROTECTION.
IN CHRIST JESUS MIGHTY NAME....AMEN AND AMEN!!!

Did you know?

The most destructive habit......................Worry
The greatest Joy................................Giving
The greatest loss...............................Loss of self-respect

The most satisfying work.........................Helping others
The ugliest personality trait....................Selfishness
The most endangered species......................Dedicated leaders

Our greatest natural resource....................Our youth
The greatest "shot in the arm"...................Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome.................Fear

The most effective sleeping pill.................Peace of mind
The most crippling failure diseas................Excuses
The most powerful force in life..................Love

The most dangerous pariah........................A gossiper
The world's most incredible computer.............The brain
The worst thing to be without....................Hope

The deadliest weapon.............................The tongue
The two most power-filled words.................."I Can"
The greatest asset................................Faith

The most worthless emotion........................Self-pity
The most beautiful attire.........................SMILE!
The most prized possession........................Integrity

The most powerful channel of communication........Prayer
The most contagious spirit........................Enthusiasm
and The Greatest and Best Friend..................GOD


God bless everyone! keep the fire of faith burning

Thoughts on what's going on in Lakeland Florida...

I believe there is always more to enjoy in God. There can always be greater degrees and releases of the manifestation of His power, but lets totally embrace and enjoy what He is giving. Lets thank Him for His goodness.


DO YOU WANT TO CHECK IT OUT?
Just in case you do like a bit of analysis, lets take out our measuring stick and measure what is going on in Lakeland:

The Lord is being praised and worshipped.
The Word is preached.
The Gifts of the Spirit are flowing.
Miracles and healings are manifesting.
The Supernatural (angelic visitation, presence of Jesus, fragrances, glory presence) is being experienced.
Many souls are being saved (both in the meeting and on the streets).
Deliverances.
Conviction and repentance.
The dead are raised.
Lots of refreshment and joy.
Spreading worldwide like an unstoppable fire.
Major generosity.


Hmmm... sound like it could be rain (I mean revival)... I think I really like it - whatever you want to call it!

A scripture portion for meditation: Ezekiel 47:1-12

Embracing Him and all that He is and has.

Thoughts by Patricia King.

What is the right time for salvation?

A girl asks: I’m a 12 year old girl who tries to do anything I can to please the Lord. Every night, television Churches invite people to dedicate their lives to the Lord, but I want to wait until next year to do this. It also feels weird to change your life over the television. Is it wrong to wait, and does it matter where you do this?

Answer: It doesn’t matter where you do this, but it is wrong to wait. I don’t want to get too heavy with you, but we are not promised tomorrow. You can be taken at any point in time - and you don’t want to be out "working on your testimony" when that day happens. As 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, Behold, now is the day of salvation. It is freely offered. It is freely available. God loves you. He always wants to forgive you. Why would you pass an opportunity to have a relationship with your Creator? Don’t buy the lie of the world that says, "Oh, you can wait for that. You can go out and sow wild oats and love the world’s way; you know Jesus will always take you back." You don’t want to be caught by surprise, out in the world. Take the relationship now. Realize that He loves you unconditionally. And you can live a life for Him. Philippians 4:13 says, I can all things through Christ who strengthens me

Jesus Saves

Jesus saves:
1. God Loves You!
The Bible says, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life"

The problem is that . . .

2. All of us have done, said or thought things that are wrong. This is called sin, and our sins have separated us from God.
The Bible says “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” God is perfect and holy, and our sins separate us from God forever. The Bible says “The wages of sin is death.”

The good news is that, about 2,000 years ago,

3. God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.
Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. “God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”

Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives in heaven with God His Father. He offers us the gift of eternal life -- of living forever with Him in heaven if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me."

God reaches out in love to you and wants you to be His child. "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name." You can choose to ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and come in to your life as your Lord and Savior.

4. If you want to accept Christ as Savior and turn from your sins, you can ask Him to be your Savior and Lord by praying a prayer like this:
"Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always."